Watershed Preliminary Results Lele Kimball October 18 2013 UTC Workshop Virginia Tech Urban Tree Canopy Economic Benefits Social Benefits Environmental Benefits Watershed Forestry Resource Guide Urban Tree Canopy ID: 333506
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Implementation of Urban Tree Canopy Assessments within the Chesapeake Bay WatershedPreliminary Results
Lele
Kimball
October 18, 2013
UTC Workshop – Virginia TechSlide2
Urban Tree CanopyEconomic Benefits
Social Benefits
Environmental
Benefits
Watershed Forestry Resource Guide - Urban Tree CanopySlide3
Urban Tree Canopy (UTC) Assessment
Measures amount of both existing and possible UTC
UTC
assessment is data
!Can help
decision makers effectively design and implement the urban forestMcKee, J. (2009). Slide4
Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Continues to experience population growth and increasing urbanization
1
Currently 17 million people
150,000 more people each year
Nearly 65,000 mi. sq.Loses about 100 acres of forest per day2By 2010, five communities in each state with:Completed assessmentCanopy goal adoptedMeasures to attain the goal120 communities with UTC expansion goals by 2020Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc. (WGES)Slide5
Research QuestionsHow are localities in the Chesapeake Bay watershed using UTC
assessments?
Are there ways to increase the use of those assessments?Slide6
Methods
Web-based survey sent to each locality within the Chesapeake Bay watershed with a UTC assessment
Approximately 9.2% of the area in the watershed has a UTC assessment
Total of 100 counties, cities, and towns/boroughs (PA)
Population range from 2,500 to 1.1 million
Area range from 0.5 sq. mi. to almost 1,000 sq. mi.Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc. (WGES)Slide7
55% response rate from localities
Representing :
80%
of total area with UTC
assessmentSlide8
67% of localities aware of their UTC assessment
Positive bias due to non-response?Slide9
Most Common types of Uses
85%
Educate public and officials about tree canopySlide10
Most Common types of Uses
65%-75%
Create a
locality-wide
tree canopy
goal
Baseline for canopy changeInform larger initiatives Plan and prioritize tree plantingsSlide11
Inform larger initiatives
Baseline for canopy change
Educate public and officials about tree canopy
Plan and prioritize tree plantings
Create a locality-wide tree canopy goal
Informing and Enforcing Tree Preservation in Policies and Planning
Financial and Public Buy-In
In-Depth Goal Setting and Prioritization
Gathering Data for External Leveraging
Advanced Types of UsesSlide12
Inform larger initiatives
Baseline for canopy change
Educate public and officials about tree canopy
Plan and prioritize tree plantings
Create a locality-wide tree canopy goal
Informing and Enforcing Tree Preservation in Policies and Planning
Financial and Public Buy-In
In-Depth Goal Setting and Prioritization
Gathering Data for External Leveraging
Advanced Types of UsesSlide13
Inform larger initiatives
Baseline for canopy change
Educate public and officials about tree canopy
Plan and prioritize tree plantings
Create a locality-wide tree canopy goal
Informing and Enforcing Tree Preservation in Policies and Planning
Financial and Public Buy-In
In-Depth Goal Setting and Prioritization
Gathering Data for External Leveraging
Advanced Types of UsesSlide14
Inform larger initiatives
Baseline for canopy change
Educate public and officials about tree canopy
Plan and prioritize tree plantings
Create a locality-wide tree canopy goal
Informing and Enforcing Tree Preservation in Policies and Planning
Financial and Public Buy-In
In-Depth Goal Setting and Prioritization
Gathering Data for External Leveraging
Advanced Types of UsesSlide15
Staff Expertise and Training
Localities with:
less
likely to be using
assessment in sophisticated ways.
So training perhaps is only introductory?
“staff trained or attended a workshop on how to use
=
UTC data”
more likely to be using the assessment
but not necessarily in more sophisticated ways
.
“lack of staff expertise”
= Slide16
Informing and Enforcing Tree Preservation in Policies and Planning
Financial and Public Buy-In
In-Depth Goal Setting and Prioritization
Gathering Data for External Leveraging
Biggest Opportunities
For Future UseSlide17
Informing and Enforcing Tree Preservation in Policies and Planning
Financial and Public Buy-In
In-Depth Goal Setting and Prioritization
Gathering Data for External Leveraging
Plan and prioritize tree canopy conservation
Plan and prioritize outreach
Develop sub-locality level tree canopy goals
Biggest Opportunities For Future UseSlide18
ImplicationsCurrently UTC assessments are underutilized.
Raising awareness may increase the number of localities using UTC assessments.
Lack of staff expertise constrains more sophisticated uses.
Need to increase staff expertise.
How to do this?
Through training? If so, need to investigate effectiveness of training and have in-depth training.Biggest opportunity for that training may be in in-depth prioritization and goal setting.Slide19
Questions?
References
Ruark
, E. A. (2010). Immigration, Population Growth and the Chesapeake Bay: Federation for American Immigration Reform
.Chesapeake Bay Program. (2012a). Facts and Figures. Retrieved 9/28/2012, from http://www.chesapeakebay.net/discover/bay101/facts
Figures and Photos"Watershed Forestry Resource Guide - Urban Tree Canopy." Watershed Forestry Resource Guide. Accessed 14 Oct. 2013. <http://www.forestsforwatersheds.org/urban-tree-canopy/>."Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc. (WGES) ." Washington Gas Energy Services, Inc. (WGES). Accessed14 Oct. 2013. <http://www.wges.com/page/CleanStepsOffsets.html>.McKee, J. (2009). UTC Report for Blacksburg, VA. Blacksburg, VA: Virginia Tech.